Remember how it was back in the Wild Wild West? A man's Horse was his most prized possession, his only means to travel. Because of this fact, Horse Thieves were HUNG!
I believe the same Law should apply to CARS today! Steal my Car? DIE !!!
ALL MY CARS - PART 2
(C) - Tom Hyland - 7/13/14
Well Gang, we left off in 1976 with the 1962 Ford Country Squire SW.
8. 1979 - Second NEW Car - 1979 HONDA Civic 2 Dr. Hatchback -
Automatic - Floor-Shift - Front Wheel Drive - Beige Color Exterior & Interior - Cute Lil Guy which was fun to drive, easy to park, and held
A Gang of Brown paper bags from grocery shopping. All 4 of us loved it.
It had just barely turned 50K miles when ... the ENGINE BLEW!
I'm guessing around '83 or '84. It was May, and I had driven from Baltimore after work, down to Laurel Maryland, to purchase a really nice wooden Serving Cart for my wife, for our Anniversary, on the 7th. The big box fit in perfectly, turned on its side, with the rear seat folded down. I just came off the 695 Beltway, was heading West on Route 70, and just before the exit ramp to Route 29 South ...
WHAM! BAM! All the 'Idiot Lights' on the dash LIT UP! No power, no warning ... NUTTIN HONEY! A Good Samaritan motorist stopped as I had my head poked under the hood, after pulling to the left shoulder.
OIL was on the ground. He drove me down 29, over to Route 40, and I bought several quarts. Came back and started pourinh it in the engine. SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!
It immediately spilled right out the bottom. Oil pan was punctured!
I guessed it 'threw a rod'? the Samaritan helped me load the big box into his back seat and drove me the half-hour home to Westminster.
I tried to pay him some money for gas, but he wouldn't take it. A truly nice old guy.
The next day, had car towed to dealer in Westminster, for them to check it out. When they gave me their answer, I didn't like it, so I called the Honda Customer Relations Rep, way out in California. Was told that they suspected 'oil starvation" and if I paid a Thousand Dollars up front... Then they would tear the engine down and inspect it. If Wrong, then and only then, would Honda replace the engine!
BUMMER! I contacted several 'junk-yard' dealers, who called all over the East Coast, and could NOT FIND that engine anywhere! Kind of a 'hint' that Something was Wrong with them, but NO RECALL from Honda!
Being totally PISSED, I junked the car and bought my next NEW car!
9. 1980 CHEVROLET Citation -
4 Cyl - FWD - Auto - 4-Dr. Hatchback - Kind of a Metallic Lite Gold
Exterior with Beige/Tan Interior -
I think it had the former 2.5 L "Iron Duke" engine, but turned
sideways, for GM's First Front-Wheel Drive Car. It was pretty powerful, light, and quick. By the time Winter came though, it kept Stalling and Scared the Hell out of me several times. One time on Route 40, while making a U-turn, with a Big Ass Semi bearing down on me! Every time I took it to the dealer, they said they had to 'test' it when COLD, so I had to leave it. Whether it was the automatic 'choke' or the carburetor, I'll never know, because that last Semi episode was the 'straw that broke the camel's back'!
Back in those days, Maryland did not yet have a "Lemon Law" ...
If you GOOGLE and go to www.truthincars.com ... which i just did, you will learn that GM's CITATION was in fact, their Biggest LEMON, or Hubris!
Although only 6 months or less old ... I TRADED THE BITCH IN!
NEXT!
10. 1979 AMERICAN MOTORS Concord LIMITED Edition -
This Baby was a Sweetheart! V-6 Engine - Auto - Air Conditioner -FIRST I Ever Had! Beige Exterior - Maroon Vinyl Roof - Maroon Velour Interior - Moon-Roof that could be Popped out - Air Adjustable Rear Suspension Right from the Factory - Air Compressor in Right Rear Trunk w/ Control Switch in Glove Box ...
The Dealer Owner had ordered it Custom for his own Son!
Like I said ... A REAL SWEETHEART! Was truly Proud to drive it!
ALAS & ALACK ! One night in 1980, on my way to a Final Exam on
Fortran Programming, a woman ran a Red Light on Reisterstown
Road, and TOTALED my Baby! Next set of 'Wheels' ...
11. In 1980 - 1978 DODGE Omni - 4-Dr Hatchback -
Powder Blue Exterior - Grey Vinyl Interior - A/C - PS - 4 on Floor Stick-Shift - Fun Car to Drive - Easy to Park - Good Gas Mileage -
Drove it until 1986.
12. 1983 - PLYMOUTH Reliant K - Station Wagon -
In February, we bought a Brand-Spanking New Wagon -
A/C - PS - 6-Cyl. - Auto - Roof Rack - Tonneau Cover to Hide items stored in rear. It was the family vehicle that wife drove the kids back and forth to school with. I got to drive it on family weekend outings.
It was a very reliable car. I remember we used it that August to drive our one and only Two-Week Vacation to Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
13. 1986 - 1996 - 10 Year Period - Got to drive Various & Sundry
Company Vehicles. I was the General Services Manager for a very substantial Engineering Firm in Baltimore - RK&K.
Old 1980 Ford Econoline 150 Van - we called it "The Big Blue Whale."
A little Toyota Pick-Up Truck, a Ford Ranger PU w/AIR on rare occasions, a Chevie Suburban Station Wagon, and Others.
Although most had NO A/C in summer, it was a very valuable Perk!
Drove them back and forth to work, on weekends, with: Free Gas Card, No Maintenance Expenses, and No Insurance to pay out.
Besides Salary, Expense Reimbursement, and 401-K Contributions,
I estimated this Benefit to be in the Range of $5,000-$6,000 per Year!
As a Manager, I was on Salary, but convinced my Wonderful Boss, Harry F. Schmale, to pay me Straight Time for all hours worked over 40. I averaged 50 hours a week for many years. It was the Best, Most Responsible Job I ever had, and with the Most Authority to Boot!
ALAS & ALACK! In November 1996, a week before Thanksgiving, and 5 weeks before Christmas ... THEY FIRED MY SORRY ARSE!
I wrote and distributed a One Page Memo complaining about the New
"NO SMOKING" Policy! My reference to their 'Gestapo Tactics"
obviously 'Hit a Nerve!" Tried for 3 years to SUE them, but it seemed that The First Amendment Right of "Freedom of Speech" did NOT apply to SMOKERS!
In fact, the Judge told my Lawyer, in Chambers that: "In the current climate, no Judge sitting on the Bench would rule in Favor of a Smoker anywhere in the State of Maryland!"
NEXT !
14. In November 1996 - Purchased a 1996 GMC Custom Van -
My Brother-in- Law, Jim, has passed away the year before, and this Old Guy was just sitting in my Sister Rose's driveway. Her 5 Kids had a quick Pow-Wow, and sold it to Uncle Tom for a mere $1,000.
Whatever the custom Name was, I can't remember, but it was BIG!
It was a Two-Tone exteriou, with Brown and Beige Colors. There was a Ladder to the roof on the rear. All interior trim was Real Wood - the dash, doors, console, et cetera.
Four all Maroon Velour Seats, all Swivel Captain's Chairs, Collapsible Table, Full Size Double Bed, Custom Curtains, Automatic w/Over-Drive - A/C - Tilt Steering - Lights & Power Accesses Everywhere - and More!
I Sat Way Up High, and felt like I was "King of The Road!" Sure, it was a "Gas Hog" but my Dog heather, the Co-Pilot, loved to sit up front like "The Queen of the Road!" many Happy Memories and road trips!
15. OOPS! Around 1988 or so, the Reliant K Wagon was traded in for a -
used 1987 NISSAN Sentra for the Wifey's Car. It was Dark Blue - all the Normal Amenities - 4-Cyl - FWD - A/C - Auto - AM/FM - no fancy Bells n' Whistles - just a Nice Car. Lasted 10 Years!
16. 1990 - New NISSAN Stanza - 4 Cyl - 4 Dr - a Step Up from Sentra -
Fire-Engine Red Exterior w/ A/C - FWD - AM/FM - Cruise Control -
Tilt Steering - a Power Button to Switch from Economy to Power -
Velour Interior - Rear Window Defogger - and a few Other features.
17. 2000 - Traded in My Gas Hog Van for $1,300 (Kelly Bluebook Value) for
1997 HONDA Civic 4-Cyl - 2-Dr Hatchback - Silver Exterior - Bucket Seats - Split Folding Rear Seats - A/C - AM/FM - Tilt Wheel - Cruise -
My Very First "Hi-Yo Silver!" He Would Really "Shit n' Git!"
I love to drive them, ride in them...........but when they don't work, they make me crazy! I love to go to car shows with the grandkids but don't know anything except that they are so pretty!
I think the reason that you couldn't find a Honda engine was because the cars were so reliable and the engines lasted so long that none were available, even in wrecks. Unlike American cars at the time. I think you had hit something that punctured a hole in your oil pan. As soon as the oil reached a critical level, your engine failed.
I only remember two catastrophic engine failures. On my grandfather's farm, with my city kid cousin in charge and tossing bales, I was about 13 and driving the 30+ year old McCormick 1020 at low speed while he was throwing bails on the wagon behind. The tractor kept knocking badly and blowing black smoke. I told my cousin about it, but he told me not to worry because it always did that. Finally, there was a loud banging and a rod came through the side of the engine block. My cousin caught hell from my uncle who was running the farm with my grandfather, because my uncle had nursed that tractor for many years.
When I traded two identical 57 DeSotos I was very happy because the second one was like new and had a rebuilt engine. Unfortunately, because the rebuilt hemi had higher compression, it was pinging. I stupidly put regular gasoline in it and embarked on a long Christmas holiday trip, first to Livermore to visit relatives and then to Southern California. As I was accelerating up a canyon on my way to Livermore from the Bay Area, I blew a piston. Staying with my relatives, I left the car at a Plymouth dealer and hitchhiked back to the Bay Area to retrieve my old Desoto. I drove it to Pleasanton and swapped engines. Got another 50,000 miles out of that car before trading it. Probably should've just replaced the piston and ran on regular gas. Some stroker got a great hemi at a bargain price.
Your list of cars read typically American. No wonder my auto shop teacher (college-a very knowledgeable guy) told us that many American families were "car poor." I remember that my father wouldn't drive or buy any car with more than 50,000 miles on it because they were so unreliable (and apparently cheap to buy new or used on time).
I think the Honda's were your best choices as I had a 77 Honda wagon, we used to fit ten people in that after we finished our jobs in NJ at 3am in the morning, I drove them all back to Philly...then of course we partied the rest of the night away...those other cars, the Reliant, Citation, the Omni and the AMC Concord were all pieces of shit, as I read of them in car magazines on a regular basis...but of course I had my pieces of junk too, though most of mine were all american cars like Fords as they seemed to be my favorite cars back in the 70s when I first started to drive...Well I wish thee luck with this new Civic, another silver one and I bet you'll dirty that console up like you did to the Fusion you had when you visited at Rene's place...My Honda that I now drive is named "Whonda Rhonda the Wonder Honda" & with 227,000 miles plus, I hope to keep it for as long as I can...as my credit sucks and I have no money to pay off another car, especially a new one...enjoyed hearing all about your steel steeds...JD/e
This is not a drill. The attack on Pearl. They were the ghost planes of the night, deadly, illusive, sharp-clawed Black Cats. The Memoirs of ARM H.P. Lawrence, a Pearl Harbor survivor, Black Cat, and decorated war veteran.
